Why We Love Wyman’s

Fairway Market has been buying and selling frozen fruit from Wyman’s of Maine for quite some time now. Founded by Jasper Wyman in 1874, Jasper Wyman and Son is a family-owned company with a heritage of leadership for wild blueberries. Over the course of many generations, the company has perfected the science of fresh freezing fruit to maintain optimum flavor while maintaining the nutritional value. Wyman’s wild blueberries are grown on over 12,000 acres in Maine, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, Canada.

Visiting Wyman’s of Maine

On a beautiful, clear August day, I had the opportunity to visit the fields where Wyman’s grows their beautiful, tasty berries. I also toured the processing plant where the berries receive several water baths to remove the debris from the field, and to separate the perfect berries from the imperfect ones. I was able to see firsthand the commitment to quality and care that every Wyman’s employee takes to bring the best fruit to market.

Maine Blueberries

The Maine wild blueberry is a ground-crawling bush that is only about 12 inches tall, compared to the larger plant that produces the cultivated blueberry. The wild blueberry is unique to Maine and southern Canada. It cannot be transplanted or grown in any other part of the world. The wild blueberry plant is totally dependent on the honeybee for pollination, which is why Wyman’s is dedicated to the protection of this species. On hilly land, the blueberry is harvested by hand. On relatively flat land, unique, custom-made combine harvesters costing over $250,000 each are used; on both sides of the machines, wheels with what look like slightly bent fingers attached rotate and churn through the blueberry plant, scooping off the blueberries. The berries then fall onto a conveyor belt that drops them off the back of the harvester into buckets that are constantly rotated by workers on the back. Within hours of harvest, the berries are transported to a processing facility not far from Bar Harbor, Maine.

From Wyman’s to You

Once at the facility, the berries are carefully poured onto a conveyor system, where they begin their journey to becoming frozen blueberries. They go through a series of water baths, and are also hand-sorted to remove stones, debris, and imperfect berries. Once thoroughly cleaned, they are dried by a giant vacuum, then carried on a conveyor through a large tunnel where the berries are frozen. They are then packaged and ready for shipment all over the world, and to all Fairway Market stores.